


Keep Calm, Try Not to Lose Your Head

by M_spn_e26



Series: Whumptober 2020 [6]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Crying, Decapitation, Gen, Gore, Graphic Description, Murder of Background Character, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Vomiting, but I made sure he got one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:42:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27112118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_spn_e26/pseuds/M_spn_e26
Summary: Peter was spending the night with May when she gets home from work, he just needs to go pick up the food so he can be back by the time she gets home.But then he finds the package in front of the door and the rest of the night doesn’t go exactly as planned.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Whumptober 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1973842
Comments: 8
Kudos: 85
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Keep Calm, Try Not to Lose Your Head

**Author's Note:**

> Whumptober: Prompt 6  
> Please... | “Get it out”, no more, “stop, please”

Peter had been sitting at his desk in his room doing homework with his headphones in. He works best like this; sitting down so he isn’t laying down to possibly accidentally fall asleep and listening to his headphones to have background music while he works through more Spanish conjugations or derivatives. 

He’d been doing his homework while waiting till he had to go pick up the Thai food from the restaurant a few minutes away that he had ordered ahead for. He puts the paper down onto the textbook and places his pencil down into the crevice between the pages. He picks up his phone and leaves his bedroom, walking into the kitchen to get the money May left to pay for dinner. 

He stops at the door to slip his shoes on before opening it and nearly tripping over a decent sized cardboard box sitting in front of the door. Packages are usually left downstairs but maybe Mr. Delon had brought it up. Mr. Delon, the building owner, brings up packages every once in a while because they get in his way or he’s just feeling like getting in some exercise.

Peter picks up the box and it’s pretty light, but he does have super strength so he guesses it might be a little heavier to a normal person. Peter backs into the apartment and walks over to the kitchen counter to set the box down. He grabs the scissors from the knife block and slits the tape on the box, pulling back the flaps and seeing the box has been filled with packing peanuts. 

Peter is confused because he didn’t think May ordered anything and he knows he didn’t order anything, so he just goes to see what it is. 

He puts his hand in the box and feels around and it’s- _hairy_?  And _wet_?  He pulls his hand out and sees red liquid on his hand and his eyes widen.

_ What the hell? _

Without thinking he flips the box over on the counter and cries out in shock.

A-  _head_ rolls out onto the counter while blood drips down from the box lying on its side and a pool spreads out around  _it_.

Peter leans forward as vomit spews out of his mouth. Peters mind racing as he runs to the sink but stops when he sees the blood on his hands, and thinks back to the  head  on the counter. _ Oh god, oh god oh god ohgodohgod-_

Peter digs his hand into his pocket with his clean hand glancing back every few seconds to his hand and avoiding looking at the counter. Peter quickly pulls up Tony’s contact and hits call. After what feels like an eternity of ringing, it finally stops with a click and he can hear Tony’s voice.

_ “Hey Underoos, what’s up?” _

Peter swallows heavily trying to keep anymore heaves at bay before failing and leaning over the sink, more vomit flowing out of his mouth and into the sink and down the drain. “M-mr. St-stark,” Peter gasps out, “I need help.” He manages to get out before sobbing into the phone. He tries not to cry and sound weak to Mr. Stark but, he fails this time.

_“Peter! Peter what happened! Are you okay!”_ Tony yells across the phone,  _“I’m already on my way. Can you tell me what’s going on?”_ Peter can hear the sound of the iron man suit shooting into the air in the background and the sound of wind blowing.

“There, there was a box in front of the door.” Peter gulps before trying to continue while blinking back the tears in his eyes. “The box, it-it had a-a head in it.” Peter manages to get out before harsh sobs burst out.

_“Holy shit, okay Peter. Everything’s gonna be fine, I’m on my way now and I’ll be there in a second okay. You still listening?”_ Tony’s voice comes across the phone sounding worried.

Peter hiccups, trying to get control of himself but failing. “Yeah, I’m listening.” He whispers across the phone.

_ “Okay, I’m outside and coming up now. Is the door unlocked?” _

“Yeah it’s still unlocked,” Peter mumbles now leaning over the sink with the hot water on and his hand under the scalding stream.

The door bursts open but Peter doesn’t even move, just staring at his hand as the blood is washed off and the skin turns bright red. 

Tony rushes into the kitchen glancing at the puddle of vomit on the floor and moves quickly to Peter, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Tony takes his face in his other hand while tilting his head towards him. “Lets get you cleaned up a little bit.” 

Tony looks around for a towel or paper towels and gets a glimpse of the horror movie worthy scene on the counter. 

There was a box tilted on its side, presumably where Peter had dropped it in shock, with blood pooling out still and running across the counter and down the cabinets. There’s a plastic bag lining the box. And then he sees the head, the mouth is taped shut and there’s some packing peanuts stuck to it along with some sitting on the pool on the counter. There’s still blood running out of it and the skin is still somewhat normally colored. 

This man was killed not too long ago. The killer might still be around.

Tony turns away from the gory scene, stomach turning, trying not to vomit right next to Peter into the sink. But Peter is clearly in shock and needs someone to take care of this and get him cleaned up. Tony quickly walks by the bloody counter and grabs the paper towels off of the kitchen table. When he gets back to Peter he runs the water cold and wets the paper towel, wiping Peters face clean of the vomit on it. He gets some soap in his hand and lathers it before taking Peters hands in between his and rubbing over his hands to clean them. After that’s done he pulls more paper towels from the roll and dries Peter off, taking off the button up shirt that also had some vomit running down the front.

With Peter cleaned up Tony leads him over to the living area and gently pushes him down onto the couch. 

“That better Pete? I’m gonna make a call really quick but you stay right here, okay?” Tony says quietly while pulling a blanket off the back of the couch and wrapping it around Peter. Peter finally looks up when the blanket is put on him and nods faintly before looking back down at his hands.

Tony walks into the entrance of the bathroom pulling out his phone, “Hey, how soon can you meet me? I need your help like ten minutes ago.” Tony says urgently before listening to the reply on the other side of the phone agreeing to meet him before Tony gives the address to the Parker residence. 

With the phone call completed Tony walks back over to the living area and sits on the couch next to Peter. “Don’t worry kiddo, helps on the way.” Tony wraps his arm around Peter pulling him down so his head rests against his chest. Tony can feel him shaking violently even as he reclines back.

It’s only about ten minutes before there’s a knock on the door. Tony shifts Peter to the side and gets up to open the door. He steps back and allows the man to step into the apartment. 

The man is tall and dark haired, with what seems like a permanent frown on his face. He nods to Tony before asking quickly, “What was it you needed?”

Tony nods his head back towards the kitchen before answering quietly, “The kid found the box back in there with the head in it at his front door. As much as I hate asking for your help I don’t think I can do this by myself and make sure Peter is alright. Can you help me out here?”

The man nods his head before walking briskly back into the kitchen pulling some gloves out of his pocket and snapping them on. Tony sighs in disgust while rolling his eyes. He absolutely hates that man with everything in him, he’s an arrogant asshole with no sense of boundaries.

The man comes out holding the box before setting it down on the coffee table in front of Peter. He tilts the box to the side so Peter has a full view before asking coldly, “Do you know this man? Is there any reason someone would have to hurt you other than your affiliation with Tony Stark? Do you have a lot of enemies?” 

Peter’s eyes widen, still glassy and full of tears. He’s shaking his head staring at the box while his mouth opens and closes, not able to make any words come out. 

The mans questions start to blend together into a jumbled mess and it gets to be too loud for Peters ears. His breath speeds up a bit and he wants the man to stop but he can only mumble, “Stop, please.” 

“What was that? I need you to speak up, I can’t hear you if you mumble.” The man answers loudly before shaking the box again and moving it closer to Peter. “Now I need you to answer the questions, or at least tell me if you know this man.”

Peter can’t take his eyes away from the box as much as he wants to. The sound is painfully loud giving him a headache and he doesn’t mean to but, he snaps. The combination of the  _sight_ and the  _smell_ and the sound of the man yelling and even  _hearing_ when the box shakes and _ it moves-_

Peter just breaks.

“Stop it! Just get out! Get it out! Get it away from me! Get it out of here and leave me alone!” Peter shouts tears running down his face and his voice cracking as he yells.

“Do you want to find who left this or not? If you want to I need you to answer my questions,” the man snaps back scowling. “Just calm down, people deal with things like this all the time and don’t freak out. I’m not, so you don’t have to and honestly, I’ve seen way worse than this. This is nothing.” He says with nonchalance and glances down to the box.

Tony who had been stood back momentarily stunned at the  _audacity_ this man has to come in here and show his kid something that is clearly upsetting him and spouting that _horseshit_ , jumps into action after that.

“Okay, that’s enough! No more,” Tony is shaking he feels so angry while balling his hands into fists. “No more questions or interrogations! Get your men in here and figure out what happened yourself, you don’t need to question Peter to investigate this.”

The man glares at Tony, “I don’t need to but it makes things much easier when I have something to go on. Even shield agents sometimes need something to start.”

“You have something already! Now get out and take that thing with you! Peter and his aunt will be staying with me so you can investigate the apartment after we’re gone.” Tony says coldly, seething with hatred for this man- no this absolute  _piece of shit_.

The dark haired man brings the box up to his chest and turns to the door, walking out and closing the door behind him with a slam. Tony quickly sits down onto the couch next to Peter who’s leaning over with his face in his hands, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. 

“God, I should have known he would do that. I should have stopped him, I’m so sorry Pete.” Tony pulls him to his chest in a hug rubbing his back lightly. “I’ll take care of everything, I promise, don’t worry about any of it. Now, why don’t you go get yours and May’s suitcases and pack while I call May to let her know to go straight to the tower.”

Peter nods lifting his face from his hands, Tony lets go and quickly wipes the tears from his face with his jacket sleeve before giving him a little smile. Peter walks over to his room and Tony can hear things moving around.

Tony pulls out the phone to give May a quick rundown of the situation, reassuring her that Peter will probably be better once he sees her, and telling her that he’ll take care of everything. He hangs up the phone and gets up to check on Peter. 

In the hall outside his bedroom there’s a full tan backpack next to a blue suitcase with the initials BFP on the straps at the handle. Then Peter walks out of a room at the end of the hall with another blue suitcase and sets it down next to the other bags. His eyes are still red rimmed and he’s sniffling constantly but it seems performing the task of packing helped calm him down a little. 

“You all ready to go kiddo?” Tony says picking up the surprisingly heavy tan backpack and slinging it around his shoulder.

Peter just nods picking up May’s suitcase as Tony picks up Peter’s suitcase. Peter walks to the door with Tony fallowing closely behind, Peter never once looking towards the kitchen.

They step out of the apartment building walking down the sidewalk to the car waiting at the side of the street. They put the luggage in the trunk and climb inside. Peter feels relief flood through him at putting some distance between himself and the apartment, he leans back and relaxes.

Tony feels something against his shoulder and looks down to see Peters head resting against it, he’s sleeping. Tony smiles a little and puts his arm around the kids shoulders before leaning his head back. 

He’ll find whoever did this, he may need a little help and it may not happen right away, but Tony won’t let them get away with traumatizing his kid.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Let me know what you thought of it in the comments if you want to, I love to hear everyone’s thoughts!


End file.
